Carry Your World (And All Your Hurt)
by Linzerj
Summary: The world is about to end because of what they did, so they might as well start enjoying the little moments now to try and let go of their hurt.


More Gravity Falls drabbles - again, spoilers for "Not What He Seems!" This hiatus is going to be the death of meeeee

Written while listening to Coldplay's song _Atlas._

* * *

Carry Your World (And All Your Hurt)

Fiddleford McGucket has been lost for thirty years.

He wished to unsee what he had seen. He wanted the pain, the hurt, the _memories_ of pain and hurt to stop plaguing him day and night. He did unspeakable things, and lost himself in the process.

Now his memories are returning, slowly but surely, and he comes to a realization that the author is going to return.

He can't face that. He can't face what he's done.

So he runs.

..

Stanford Pines has been searching for the solution for thirty years.

He has lost his brother and his friend, and everything that he thought he knew is ripped from him and turned upside down. Paranormal activity spikes, but he only has the one journal - the other two have been hidden from him.

He begins rebuilding, even though he doesn't have the schematics yet. If he gets lucky, he'll find them soon, and he can fix all the things that went wrong.

..

Stanley Pines has been dead for thirty years.

Or at least, that's what the papers say, he's sure. Stanford will cover it up, somehow - that was always his specialty, after all. Stanley had been the genius, the brains, but Stanford had the street smarts and the people skills he lacked. They had been a perfect pair.

Now he's lost.

But the gateway is flickering again, after so long (how long has it been?), and change is coming _soon_.

..

Dipper and Mabel Pines have been alive for twelve years.

They are sent to their great uncle's home in Gravity Falls, Oregon, and they settle in quickly. They make friends, and find Journal 3, and go on crazy adventures that no one will ever believe. They see things twelve year olds should never see.

They learn to love, and even _trust_, their Grunkle Stan, despite having rarely seen him before this summer.

Then their world comes crashing down around them.

..

Stanford tenses as his Mabel utters his name, her hand hovering over the button. Dipper tenses, too.

"_I trust you_."

She lets go, and floats, and _shines_ and Stan could have cried. She doesn't even know what she's doing this for, but she - she _trusts_ him. He won't ever be able to thank her enough.

But Dipper's trust in her shatters. He screams to her, _pleads_ to her, tries to make her see sense in these last few seconds but -

It's too late.

Everything goes white.

..

Stanley looks at the portal he came from. He'd marked it as soon as he'd come through, and it's activity had been increasing for the past few days. He's fought off countless creatures in order to protect it.

It blazes brightly, now, and stabilizes. There is a moment of hesitation.

But if he doesn't go now, he'll miss his chance to return (despite the possibility of total world destruction that accompanies this - oh Stanford, you glorious fool).

So he steps through.

..

Stanley doesn't know if he wants to smack Stanford or hug him.

He looks so much...older. Time must have passed differently in the portal. But that's not what draws Stanley's attention first.

"Why are there children here?"

Stanford blinks, looks back at the kids, and rubs the back of his neck. "Oh, uh, yeah. They're, uh...they're your grandkids, Lee."

The kids - they had been talking quietly off to the side - or arguing, rather, by the looks of it - but both tense and swivel to face him.

"_What_?" the boy whispers, frozen. The girl simply smiles, braces shining in the dim light.

Stanley blinks. "Grandkids," he repeats, dumbstruck. "I...my son..._how long has it been?"_

"Thirty years." Stanford looks down, guiltily again. "I'm sorry, Lee. I'm so, so sorry."

"...You risked the world for me."

"You would've done the same."

They embrace, and off to the side the two children help the other young man who had fainted earlier rise.

The world is still in danger, but they might as well start enjoying every moment they have reunited, starting now.


End file.
